Persons owning tools often search for a convenient storage system to maximize the use of space and organize their equipment. This is especially true when applied to persons seeking to store and organize sporting equipment, such as fishing and hunting equipment. In particular, outdoorsmen have a special need for storing their gear in an organized and accessible manner. For instance, fishermen need a convenient and localized place for storing fishing rods.
Also, according to the various needs or preferences of the person, one wishing to store tools may desire a storage device capable of being utilized in many different environments. For instance, many persons may desire to mount a tool storage device on the wall of their garage or workstation to organize their tools while keeping them accessible. Alternatively, the storage device could be mounted along the gunwale of a boat or inside the cabin of a boat to keep tools out of the way of the boaters but readily accessible for use.
Many persons may want to store their tools against a wall or ceiling, so the storage device should be able to grip and/or hold the tool in the storage device against gravitational forces. However, a user of the tool should be able to easily retrieve the tool from the storage device when desired.
Previous storage devices incorporate undesired characteristics that can adversely affect the capacity of the storage device. For instance, many previous storage devices employ the use of foam or a foam like soft material to grip the tool being stored. However, over time, foam or a similar soft material can develop a memory as to the size and shape of the stored tool. This memory can cause problems when later attempting to store a tool that is smaller than the originally stored tool because the foam may not be able to grip the smaller tool.
Also, many other devices employ the use of straps or ties to hold the tool in the storage device. However, these straps or ties are not convenient to use. A more convenient device would not employ the use of straps or ties. Accordingly, the present invention, in one embodiment, can effectively hold the tools being stored by the storage device without the use of straps or ties.
A need currently exists for a storage device capable of storing tools of various sizes and sizes while being versatile enough to be placed in various environments that the user should desire. The storage device should be able to keep the tools stored out of the way of the user but still conveniently accessible to the user. Additionally, the storage device should be able to withstand normal use without substantial wear and/or the previously described memory problem that affect the overall ability to store tools.